Suction cleaner outlet construction



y 1942- E. J. KASPER SUCTION CLEANER OUTLET CONSTRUCTION Flled March 13 1939 Patented May 19, 1942 UNITED STATE socrroN CLEANER OUTLET CONSTRUCTION Elmer J. Kasper, Clevelan P. A. Geier Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio d, Ohio, assignor to The,

Application March 13, 1939, Serial No. 261,475

1 Claim.

Myinvention relates to suction cleaner outlet construction and more particularly to outlet construction for portable tank type suction cleaners. When a usual portable tank type suction cleaner is operating, a disturbing whirring noise is created as the air is sucked through the cleaner by the action of its rapidly rotating fan.

It has not been commercially feasible to streamline the various ducts, compartments, fan or fans and the other interior parts of a usual tank type suction cleaner which the air contacts as it passes therethrough.

A suction cleaner having completely streamlined all its parts contacting the air would probably be'relatively quiet in operation, but the cost of such a cleaner if desired would presumably be prohibitive.

On the other hand, there has existed the problem of reducing the noise of operation of tank type suction cleaners which are adapted for commercial production and sale.

,The objects of the present improvements include the provision of an improved outlet construction for suction cleaners by the use of which a reduction of the operating noise is attained in a suction cleaner without altering the conformation of the: other interior parts of the cleaner which contact the air passing therethrough.

Further objects of the present improvements include the provision of an outlet construction for suction cleaners which reduces the operating noise thereof without reducing its efficiency.

let construction preferably including a first tubular neck, which may be adapted for connection with blower appliances and the like, the inner end of the neck being connected with the outlet opening of the tank, and the outer end of the first tubular neck having a radially inwardly ex- The foregoing and other objects are attained by the suction cleaner, suction cleaner outlet construction, parts, combinations, and sub-combinations, which comprise the present invention, and

, the nature of which is setforth in the following general statement, and preferred embodiments of which are set forth in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improved suction cleaner and suction cleaner outlet construction of the present invention may be stated in general terms as including preferably in a tank type suction cleaner which may have either a horizontal, vertical or otherwise directed longitudinal axis of its tank and rotation of its fan or fans, a tank or housing in which the filter, fan, motor, and other usual parts of a suction cleaner are operatively arranged, the tank having an inlet opening and various orifices and openings in its interior walls through which the air passes, and

having an outlet opening, and an improved out;

tending annular air stop flange with a central opening ofless or reduced area than the outlet opening of the tank, and a second relatively short tubular neck having its inner end connected with the reduced opening of the flange, the, second tubular neck having a wall which is internally convexly curved or rounded forming an interior convexly curved annular shoulder between the stop flange and the outer extremity opening of the second neck. a

The minimum transverse outlet area of the second neck is preferably not less than the area of the minimum opening in the suction" cleaner preceding the improved outlet through which the air passes. I y

By way of example, embodiments of the improved suction cleaner and the suction cleaner outlet construction of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tank type suction cleaner, including the present improvedoutlet construction, with a fragmentary showing of the suction intake tube thereof, and the electric power supplyline thereof, the longitudinal axis of the tank and the general direction of air flow therethrough being at aslight angle with the horizontal, and which for purposes of convenience of reference hereinafter may be termed a horizontal tank type suction cleaner;

Fig. 2, an enlarged fragmentary view thereof with portions broken away and shown in vertical section on the longitudinal axis of the cleaner, and other interior portions of the cleaner being shown in elevation; r

Fig. 3, a fragmentary end elevation of the improved outlet construction looking in the direction of the arrows 8-3 Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4, an enlarged fragmentary view of the outlet end portions of Fig. 3, more clearly showl ing the details of the improved outlet construction.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive there are illustrated a horizontal tanktype suction cleaner indicated generally by H, and including embodiments of the present improved outlet construction, in adclition to other improvements which are not the p subject matter of the present invention, together with other usual parts of a tank type suction cleaner.

The horizontal tank type suction cleaner includes as illustrated an elongated cylindric central filtering means housing tube |2 upon one end |3 of which a reducing flange cap I4 is mounted. Y

The larger end I5 of the reducing flange cap l4 fits over the end |3 of the central tube |2 and is separably secured thereon as by clasps l6; and the smaller outer end I! of the reducing cap |4 separably receives a sleeve coupling l8 of a flexible suction intake tube I9.

Upon the other end 20 of the central tube |2 there is separably secured a motor driven fan unit indicated generally by 2|, and the outer end of the fan unit 2| has removably secured thereon a convexly curved outlet cap indicated generally by 22.

Runner rod supports 23, one for each side of the cleaner have opposite ends secured as by screws to the central tube l2 and the fan unit 2|. A carrying handle indicated generally by 24 likewise has its opposite ends secured to the central tube l2 and the fan unit 2|. An electric supply flexible cable 25 is associated with a control switch indicated generally by 26 and with preferable electric motor 21 of the fan unit 2| in an operative manner not necessary for the purposes of the present improvements to be described in detail.

The motor driven fan unit 2|, includes in addition to the motor 21, other parts all located within the interior of a preferably cylindric tube 28, which as shown is part of a one piece a cup having a perforated transverse wall 23 ex tending across the extremity of its intake end 30 telescoped within the outlet end 3| of the central tube l2. Within the central tube l2 there is located filter bag means indicated generally by 32. o

The motor 21 is located within the tube 28 and includes a frame indicated generally by 33 having an apertured circular flange 34 extending transversely across the interior of the tube 28, and from opposite sides of the circular flange 34 other parts of the motor frame extend, and mount the various parts of the motor including the shaft having the fan mounting end 35 which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 36 of the alined motor housing tube 28 and central filtering means housing tube H.

An inner fan tube 31 has one end secured as by screws 38 to the circular flange 34 and its other end provided with a wide inwardly extending annular flange wall 39.

longitudinally spaced from the wide annular flange 39 towards the intake perforated wall 29 there is located a circular baille wall 40 and between the wide annular flange wall 39 and the circular bafile wall 40 there are interposed a plurality of angled deflector vanes 4|. The fan tube 31 is provided with an extension fan tube 42, one end of which is telescoped as shown over the intake and of the fan tube 31 having the inwardly extending transverse annular flange 39 there- The extension fan tube 42 extends over the circular baiile wall M1 and is provided at its end adjacent the perforated intake wall 29 of the outer tube 28 with a wide inwardly extending annular flange wall 43.

A preferably resilientmounting ring 45 having an L-shaped cross section is interposed be- I cornerof the tube 42 andthe flange wall 43.

An improved peripherally apertured transverse baffle wall indicated generally by 44 is interposed between the motor frame 33 and the inwardly extending wide annular flange 39. The fan mounting end 35 of the motor shaft extends towards the perforated intake wall 29 through central apertures of the baflle wall 44, the wide annular flange wall 38, and the baflle wall 40.

A first fan compartment." is formed within the extension tube 42 between the wide annular flange wall 43 and the baffle wall 48; and a second fan compartment 41 is formed within the fan tube 31 between the wide annular flange wall 39 and the improved baiile wall 44.

A centrifugal fan indicated generally by 48 is located within the first fan compartment 46, and as shown another centrifugal fan indicated generally by 48 is located within the second fan compartment 41; and the fans 48 are removably secured to the fan mounting end 35 of the motor shaft as by cooperating nut clamped collar and spacer collar means indicated generally by 50.

Improved apertured baiiie cupmeans indicated generally by 5| are telescoped within the discharge extermity 52 of the outer tube 28, and as shown there may be a resilient motor support pyramid indicated generally by 53 interposed between a central pyramidal portion 54 of the cup 5| and an adjacent cylindrical end 55 of the motor frame 33.

A filter fabric wall 56 may be as shown intere posed between the interior of the outlet cap 22 and the flange cup 5|. The outlet cap 22 is provided with a central reduced outlet neck opening 51.

The centrifugal fans 48 as shown are identical in construction and each includes a discharge side disk 58 having a central aperture 59 fitting on the fan mounting end 35 of the motor shaft, an intake side annular disk 60 having a central intake opening SI, and preferably curved fan blades 62 interposed between the disks 58 and 60.

The intake opening 6| of the fan 48 of the first fan compartment 48, as shown, is adjacent and registers with the opening 43--| of the wide transverse flange wall 43; and the intake opening 8| of the fan 48 in the second fan compartment 41 as shown registers with the adjacent opening 63 of the wide flange wall 39.

In the present improved outlet construction indicated generally by 64, the outlet neck opening 51 of the outlet cap 22 connects with the inner end of a first tubular neck 65, and in usual outlet construction the outer end of the neck 85 would terminate as the extreme outlet opening of the suction cleaner In the improved outlet construction however from the outer end of the first tubular neck 65 there extends radially inwardly an annular air stop flange 66 having a central opening 61 of less or reduced area than the area of the outlet opening 51 of the outlet cap 22.

A second relatively short tubular neck 58 has its inner end connected with the reduced opening 61 of the stop flange S8 and the second tubular neck for the purposes of the present improvements has a wall 69 which is interiorly convexly curved or rounded to form an interiorly convexly curved annular shoulder between the stop flange 86 and the outer extremity opening 10 of the second neck 68.

The minimum transverse outlet area of the second neck 68, which as shown is the area of the outer extremity opening 10, is preferably not less than the area of the minimum opening in the suction cleaner H preceding the improved outlet 64 through which the air passes.

In the suction cleaner II, the inlet flange cap I4, the tube l2, the tube 28, and the outlet cap 22 constitute the tank of the cleaner, and the outlet opening 51 may thus be termed the outlet opening 5'! or the cleaner tank, which is connected with the inner end of the improved outlet construction 64.

In operation, in the improved suction cleaner H with the improved outlet construction Mgthe use of the stop flange 66 with its outlet opening 61 of less area than the normal outlet opening 51 of the tank reduces the ordinary whirring noise of a tank type suction cleaner.

If the outlet opening 61 is a mere circular opening in the flange 66 with a sharp edge, a whistling noise is produced, which is eliminated by the provision of the interiorly convexly curved shoulder 69 of the second neck 68.

By making the minimum outlet area 10 of the construction 64 at least equal to the minimum preceding opening through which the air passes in the cleaner II, or in other words, equal to the smallest of the air passage openings in the cleaner, the setting up of back pressure and a reduction in efficiency is avoided.

If the neck 65 is not desired for the reception of a hose coupling, the same may be eliminated and the cap wall 22a merged directly into stop flange 65.

The embodiments of the present improvements illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the same or to the particular details thereof, but is commensurate with the subject matter of the following claim, the elements of the claim being intended to include their reasonable equivalents.

I claim:

Outlet construction for the outlet end of a tank type suction cleaner provided with a series having a wall which is internally conveXly curved outwardly and forming'an interiorly convexly curved annular shoulder between the stop flange and the other extremity opening of the second neck, and the minimum area of the opening of the second neck being equal to the area of the smallest of said air passage openings of various sized areas in the cleaner.

ELMER. J. KASPER. 

